TamiPotter.com offers an overview and links to of all the Tami Potter sites (Mosaic Moments handmade, Cropdog.com Digital, and Journella.com, free on-line journal) and gives up dates on classes and events.

1. Mosaic Moments Mat. If you have a Mosaic Moments Mat - please bring yours to use at the Camp. We will gladly exchange the new mat provided to you for a credit good toward other Mosaic Moments™ supplies.

2. Mosaic Moments Grid Paper, various supplies, and even some of the photos, for all of the classes.

Colonial Williamsburg - If you have time to spend, CW is a lovely place to get a historical tour. (You need a paid ticket go inside the buildings.) However, when time is limited, you can walk around the historic areas and take all the photos you desire free of charge.

Jamestown Island

Another great drive, with a wonderful view of the James River is on Jamestown Island. (Jamestown was a settlement in the Colony of Virginia, the first permanent English settlement in the Americas.)

and if you enjoy a thrill here and there one of my favorite places to take pictures is...

While my family rides bumper cars and roller coasters, I take pictures of all the beautiful flowers and great fall scenery at the park. FYI - Busch Gardens is OPEN ONLY ON WEEKENDS (Friday - Sunday) during the month of October.

The Design Team Challenge for April 1-15 is a first Signs of Spring Scavenger Hunt. It seems many of us are begging the weather man to answer, "Where is Spring?" That made me think we may just need a little help on this one! May be if we all start putting our "vision of spring" out there - it will finally come to greet us all!

Here is the 25 item Spring Photo Scavenger Hunt list:

Scavenger Hunt / Page RULES:

You can use photos old or photos new on your Mosaic Moments Page - but, they must be YOUR photos (nothing found on the internet!)

Post your pages - share them on Pinterest, Your blog, or Journella.com - and post a link to your page on the Mosaic Moments FACEBOOK page.

We will choose a winner based on: Who got the most photos used from the list. If we have a tie our Mosaic Moments Design Team will vote to determine the winning page.

Winner will receive a FABULOUS SURPRISE our Soon to be introduced April Page Kits! (they are super cute!)

3 SIMPLE STEPS COULD MAKE YOU A WINNER!

1. Create a Mosaic Moments Page - we have recommended The Snow Queen as inspiration, however, any winter type theme will be perfectly acceptable (even if you spend your winter in Florida). The only solid rules are: the page must be created using Mosaic Moments Grid paper and it must be posted by January 15th.

See our quick tutorial on Sharing your pages to the Journella Story Board:

3. Share with your facebook friends so they can comment and boost your chances to win. (Contest winner will be determined by the most comments - in case of a tie our panel of judges will determine the winner based on design, creativity, etc.)

The easiest way to share your post with your friends: make a comment at the bottom of your post. Look for this: (See image below)

See the button (image above) with the check mark next to the phrase "Also post on Facebook" - leave that checked and Facebook will share your post like a status update for your friends. Then they can easily leave comments for you! :)

The winner and someone who comments on their post will receive this lovely set of organizers:

With just 5 days until the deadline for the Design Your Moment Challenge Contest a "little bird" told me there was a bit of confusion among her friends. They were not sure exactly what to do. Here is a step by step:

HOW TO ENTER the Design Your Moment January Challenge -

1. Create a Mosaic Moments Page - we have recommended The Snow Queen as inspiration, however, any winter type theme will be perfectly acceptable (even if you spend your winter in Florida). The only solid rules are: the page must be created using Mosaic Moments Grid paper and it must be posted by January 15th.

if you have additional questions I'd be very glad to help - you can e-mail me: tamipotter@msn.com

3. Share with your facebook friends so they can comment and boost your chances to win. (Contest winner will be determined by the most comments - in case of a tie our panel of judges will determine the winner based on design, creativity, etc.)

The easiest way to share your post with your friends: make a comment at the bottom of your post. Look for this: (See image below)

See the button (image above) with the check mark next to the phrase "Also post on Facebook" - leave that checked and Facebook will share your post like a status update for your friends. Then they can easily leave comments for you! :)

The winner and someone who comments on their post will receive this lovely set of organizers:

PREPARE NOW to participate!

As you go through the initial set up, Be sure to add a "Story Board Display Name" - this is the name that will appear under each post you create.

REWARDS FOR ALL!

EVERYONE who posts a challenge (on Journella.com) by the post deadline will receive a 20% off coupon code good toward an order on Snapncrop.com.

WINNER WILL BE CHOSEN

JANUARY WINNER WILL RECEIVE a set of organizers! The winner will be determined by: 75% - the number of comments received (each commenter will only be counted once) plus 25% design, creativity, & presentation/story.

It's Good to be FRIENDS with a WINNER!

PRIZE Will ALSO BE GIVEN TO A FAN (a commenter) of the WINNING Page! So, tell your friends to add their comments - because they could win along side you!

Even if you don't join the challenge (or have a Friend who did) you should come and comment - the more challenge posts you comment on the better your chances of winning!

I am always surprised, when I go back through my photos at the end of the year, at how much I've forgotten. As I look back though the images I find my attitude changes regarding the prior 12 months. What I thought was a fairly uneventful time-line turns to a realization of how much has actually taken place. I find myself feeling blessed and full of gratitude.

Mosaic Moments photo !nspiration: Week 52

There were sports teams and campaigns, new pets to enjoy, trips to new places, family reunions and friends... Even this 21 image pattern was not enough to fit all that I would have liked to summarize my year; but, it gives me a glimpse of 2013 and how full it was.

There are some things in life you'd like to do over. Like Cole's first photo with Santa. I decided to buy his outfit at the mall. I thought it was so cute - he'd be all dressed in red, just like Santa!

I gave little thought to how that red outfit would actually photograph. And, I have to say, apparently I am not the only one who should have thought things out a bit more!

Let's take a look... Cole dressed in red melts into Santa's suit and Santa dressed in red blends into the BIG red chair, except for his black boots which blend into the black floor. I am calling this a Super Christmas oops!

Mosaic Moments photo !nspiration: Week 51

So, if you have not yet headed out for those photos with Santa - let the photo above be a lesson to all. Wear something festive - but stay away from RED. :)

December will soon come to an end, 2013 will be over and 2014 will begin! I love starting a new year and getting a fresh start with all the wonderful possibilities! and...

I am excited to let you in on our 2014 plans because I know you want to prepare for participation!

We are starting 2014 off with an exciting series of challenges. Each of our Mosaic Moments™ Page Challenges in 2014 will be inspired by a work of literary fiction.

The Challenge Details will be sent out the first week of each month in our Mosaic Moments e-Mail. (We'll also post reminders to facebook.) We will ask that you post YOUR challenge pages on the JOURNELLA.COM website along side the Mosaic Moments 2014 design team.

EVERYONE who posts a challenge (on Journella.com) by the post deadline will receive a 20% off coupon good toward an order on Snapncrop.com.

We also have a BIG reward (think Organizing Gear) in store for the JANUARY WINNING CHALLENGE POSTER! The winner will be determined by: 75% - the number of comments received (each commenter will only be counted once) plus 25% design, creativity, & story (what is written about the page).

THAT BIG REWARD... Will ALSO BE GIVEN TO A FAN (a commenter) of the WINNING Page! So, tell your friends to add their comments - because they could win along side you!

Even if you don't join the challenge (or have a Friend who did) you should come and comment - the more challenge posts you comment on the better your chances of winning that BIG Reward.

The year before my second daughter was born, the number 3 was an unplanned theme for Christmas. I bought some cute cards that said, "From the three of us" and I purchased this ornament (image below) because it had three riding on a sled. I probably thought I was accepting our family as a three some (and no more). My daughter was almost 7 years old. We wanted more children; but, we were so happy and grateful to have our little girl.

A few months later, with a little fertility help, we were delighted to learn that we'd be a family of four. Every year when I dig out this ornament it reminds me, both of the time when we were a family of three, and that you never know what blessing is waiting for you just around the corner.

Mosaic Moments photo !nspiration week:50

Every year I take pictures of my newest ornaments. I've used the pictures as accents and as focal points in many of my Christmas layouts. Here is a page I created that included the photo above:

Sometimes you want to get a shot of the whole group. So you rely on the kindness of strangers to snap a couple of quick shots. On the very tiny screen on your camera the shot looks great - no one blinked so you give your appreciation and part ways.

Later when you load your photos to your computer you find the shots were not as sharp as you had hoped.

Mosaic Moments photo !nspiration week:49

All is not lost! If you have photoshop or photoshop elements you can fix a little blur in just a few steps:

Once your photo is open apply "Unsharp Mask" - this is found under filter and sharpen. Try these settings: 150% radius and Threshold 10. Save. Then before you do anything else, go to edit and select "Fade Unsharp Mask" - in the pop up menu change "Normal" to "Lumnosity."

Here is the difference:

Here they are side by side:

Before After

The Holidays seem to go by so fast - you may think it was all just a blur when it is over. Save your memories - Fix the blur! :)

It seems we are always commenting on how fast time goes by. For me, 2013 had a little slower pace then some of the previous years. We have been taking a little break from traveling to conventions to allow our children to enjoy activities that were not previously possible with the schedule we were keeping. I have really enjoyed watching them get involved with sports, theater, and even a little politics.

As an admitted Potter Family Paparazzi, one of my biggest frustrations is not being able to take pictures of all the stuff my kids are doing. I try to get pictures. I send my daughter to activities with a camera. I bought her a phone with a camera. For some reason, they just aren't as dedicated to snapping as I am. I get the shots I can (and I complain a little about what I can't).

For example, last spring I couldn't go to my daughter's school and take pictures of her passing out campaign goodies to fellow students; so, I took pictures of the goodies before she took them to school.

"You want me to spend time doing something I LOVE - well how can I resist!" :)

My niece was able to visit for a few days and asked if I would take a few pictures of her and her children. I've been learning how to use a few settings on my camera - thought I'd test my new found knowledge. My memory wasn't exactly sharp. I forgot some important things. It made the shoot a bit of a challenge - and some of the photos I took didn't come out the way I wanted them to. I thought I needed a re-do, but, as it turned out, we got a few shots that I LOVED.

Autumn is an amazing time of year filled with colorful changes in every direction.

One of the fun fall activities enjoyed by kids - young and old - is raking leaves into piles and jumping into them or running through them. It is also a very fun photo opportunity; however, I discovered several years ago, that after all the leaves have fallen from the trees and we are ready to begin the chore of raking, the leaves have all turned to a dull brown - the beautiful colors faded away.

Now, I make sure I get out and photograph the leaves as soon as possible, while they are still on the trees or shortly after they have fallen to the ground so, I can capture the color.

One of the items on Alexis' New York City to do list was "ride the subway". NYC subways are kind of dark and grungy; but, they are a great way to get around. As a tourist, I'd recommend avoiding subway travel during the peak hours, unless you enjoy being sandwiched between strangers.

My focus that day was on Alexis, who didn't want me to take pictures. I told her I could absolutely NOT agree to the NO picture rule - but, I did try to cut back.

Mosaic Moments photo !nspiration week:45

I was so focused on "living in the moment" and not taking too many pictures, that I almost forgot to get my usual texture shots; but, I saw this green post with the layers of paint and it snapped me back into "photographer mode." I grabbed a couple of shots just before we got on the train.

This 12 image pattern has a 1x6 square border down the right and left sides of the page. I used this as an opportunity to show two different sections of the same photo. I used the same photo a third time in the bottom left corner spot.

Our Mosaic Moments Mail Newsletter was getting longer and
longer with all the great ideas we wanted to share - and STILL we
weren't getting all the great ideas we had in front of our subscribers!
WHAT TO DO?!

We decided the best way to make sure you weren't missing all the great articles including: Tips, Techniques, Page Patterns, Snapncrop Specials and New Product Announcements, was to break up the newsletter into weekly E-mails.

Now, Each Week, Mosaic Moments Mail Will Inspire With:

New Page Patterns

Fabulous MUST SEE Techniques or Design Tips

New Design Team Projects & Challenges

New Products (as available)

Snapncrop Specials for that week

Mosaic Moments Mail will only be available via E-mail. You can sign up on any of our blog pages or on Snapncrop.com. Be sure to add "Contact@wishinthewind" to your SAFE list.

...But, that doesn't mean I don't want to remember the trip, the things we did, and that cute macaroon shop in Greenwich Village.

I am not going to say that your photos aren't important, the better photos you take the more you are going to LOVE your pages, but saving your memories, especially the ones that are going to make you smile and connect with your loved ones, is even more important.

So take pictures - lots and lots of pictures! Then, create pages with them - because even when the individual photo's aren't "stand outs" when you put them together on a page you create a bit of memory magic.

Mosaic Moments photo !nspiration week:44

I tried the Salted Carmel Macaroon, Alexis proved to be more adventurous - she tried the Rose flavored macaroon. I hope that one day, before she is all grown up, we will get a chance to go back and try a few more flavors together. :)

If you have been listening to "photo chatter" you've probably heard people talking about "The Golden Hour" or the Magic Hour as that perfect time of day to take photographs. So, when is the Golden Hour today? There are quick and easy ways to find out! I added a link below. (Don't you just LOVE the Internet!)

If you have a smart phone - there are apps to help you out! I've been trying a FREE app called Magic hour. If you want something a little fancier then check out the Golden-Hour app (currently listed for $5.99).

Keep in mind that cloud covering will effect that "golden hour" and just as the time of sunrise and sunset vary each month the time of day changes for the Golden Hour.

So what if you can't make it to that perfect time? Cloudy days and large shaded areas are a great solution for better outdoor portrait lighting. Make sure it isn't mottled lighting created by trees - better to use the shaded side of a building for more consistent light.

Mosaic Moments photo !nspiration week:43

A little too early for "magic hour" this shot was taken on the shady side of a building about 3:30 PM in November.

It's a little bit corny this feeling inside... oh did he say funny, oops! I have corn on my mind. :)

It is my "Professional Snap Shot Taker's" opinion that dried corn stalks are a necessity to the photo stocks of every shutter bug. They have great texture, color, and are a perfect addition to a fall photo mosaic.

Mosaic Moments photo !nspiration week:42

You are likely to see a few cornstalk bundles at your local pumpkin patch, or local theme park/family entertainment center. Add a few shots of bailed hay and some pumpkins and you have the perfect formula for a fabulous fall page.

I am not sure if I've let a fall pass by, in recent years, without taking a few photos of the beautiful mums. I've been adding Chrysanthemum photos to my pages since I first began creating pages with the Mosaic Moments system.

With the introduction of Cropdog.com we now have both
digital and handmade Mosaic Moments™ pages. I will be looking for Design Team Members who can really highlight Our Mosaic Moments™ HANDMADE process.

What we want to see:

Strong Photography Skills(Looking for DT Members who LOVE to take pictures!)

Great Craftsmanship(please do not send or post images that are dark, blurry, or that make your pages look like they are warped - see tip links below.)

Social Involvement - Cheer on the current Design Teams Members, show off your personal work, let us know who you are on facebook... Let us know you want to be part of the team!

There are lots of tips for photographing your pages online. Here are a couple of helpful links:

SHARE (on the Journella Story Board) at least 1 of your favorite pages created by you, using Mosaic Moments™ grid paper, along with the story behind the page. (This could be a personal story or it could be tips about how you created the page.)

If you do not all ready have one you will need to open a FREE
Journella.com account. If you have any technical questions please
e-mail me at tamipotter@msn.com.

FYI
- after you have written a post you will need to click on the globe
with the arrow to share the story to the Journella Story Boards. The
globe is located with the row of icons (upper right next to the trash
can) see image below.

Designers will serve a 12 month term. All monthly Design Team
Challenges for 2014 Design Team Members will be posted on the
Journella.com Story Boards.

We compensate generously with
products. Open to all
US and International designers who are at least 18 years of age.

All Mosaic Moments™ Design Team applications must be received by November 15th
to be considered. If selected you will be notified via email and the
new team will be announced in our December Newsletter as well as on
facebook. Design Team members will be required to submit (2)
assignments per month.

Living in Williamsburg, VA our family has easy access to a theme park that is open from March through December. We frequently spend family time at Busch Gardens. It is a beautiful place and with the routine changes in decor, it is a fun place to take pictures. I try to snap as many shots as I can while we are there; however, it isn't always easy to capture my kids and all of the scenery. A little tip I've discovered - I can focus more on catching good shots of the kids if I visit the park without the kids occasionally, to capture the landscape.

Mosaic Moments photo !nspiration week:40

My favorite area of Busch Gardens Hall-O-Scream this season is the Pirate section. It's new, fun, and reminds me of the years I spent as a pirate (at East Carolina University.) I had a great time taking pictures of the displays.

I used the photo taken above (plus several other favorites), and added in one taken on another day of my favorite little buddy, to create the page below.

Fall is one of my favorite seasons. The weather is so pleasant and the changing scenery is breath taking. Every year I try to fit in all the activities we love - but, I find there just aren't enough weekends to do it all! This year we decided to fit the Virginia State Fair into our busy fall schedule.

Mosaic Moments photo !nspiration week:39

So, What is on your fall schedule?

Picking Apples? The pumpkin patch? A corn maze? A scenic drive? A trip to the State Fair?

One of the things I love about Virginia - Pansies! Due to our regions relatively mild winters, I can plant pansies and keep them blooming all winter long. Every spring Busch Gardens shows off a colorful variety of Pansies and, of course, I can't resist snapping a few shots.

Mosaic Moments™ Photo !nspiration: Week 38

I don't always want a lot of mulch showing on my pages. So, I try to get a few close up shots.

I used the Pansy photo shown above to add a bit of color to my page (shown below).

This page probably seems like a it is about a day at a theme park - and it sort of is; but, for me, it is really about capturing Cole while he is still a little guy. This was such a brief moment - my little boy with missing front teeth (a few months later they are grown in). He is challenged when trying to get down from a horse on the carousel ride. He can still crawl inside that tree, and he still wants to climb around in the kids area at Dragonland. It all goes by way too fast!

Everyone who owns a computer has heard the advice - have a back up! This week I learned a double back up lesson.

Mac computers have a automatic back up feature called Time Machine. My computer is set to back up automatically to an external hard drive - just in case my computers hard drive failed me. But, my automatic back was having a little trouble keeping up and I was getting messages that Time Machine had not been able to complete the back up.

A few days ago I had to restart my computer and it wouldn't come back on. After doing some analysis, Kevin determined that he would need to replace the hard drive (a long process that would would not save my files.) But, that is okay we had a back up right? Well, the two external hard drives we had backed up on both failed. Not Good News!

Lesson: Have a CRASH PLAN!

Thankfully Kevin had not ignored the warnings from Time Machine. A few weeks ago he signed up for an online back up service called Crash Plan. If it had not been for Crash Plan I would have lost ALL my files: my business files, my personal files, and MY PHOTOS!

It is going to take days to get all of the files back onto my computer (I have a TON of photos) but at least I know I will have them to work with again soon. In the mean time I am sharing my LOVE for Crash Plan with you as well as the most recent page I made on Cropdog.com (all the images I uploaded there are also safe and sound.)

Best photography tip: Always have a camera with you, because you never know when the opportunity for an impromptu photo shoot might arise...

When Kevin and I arrived at Busch Gardens (a local theme park) we noticed the line to renew passes was short (only two people.) We all needed to get new cards (ours were really worn out.) It seemed like a great time to make the update without cutting into our park time too much. Little did Kevin know that he'd still be standing in line 15 minutes later.

The kids and I were waiting and waiting and… I got out my camera and started snapping. My kids aren't always highly cooperative with me and my camera but, given the situation (waiting with nothing else to do) they sort of starting "hamming it up" and I took full advantage.

This weeks inspiration isn't a single photo - because with some subjects it is just way more fun to keep on clicking!

Mosaic Moments™ Photo !nspiration: Week 36

At one point Alexis even managed to get her camera shy brother to join the act!

I'd play the proud mom and show them all but, there are Sooo MANY and I am sure you get the idea. :)

When I got home I loaded the photos onto my computer and created a quick page on Cropdog.com using this 12 image collage pattern. Background color - #7ac5cc.

I read a status update by a friend on facebook this morning and it took me back a little. She had just spent hours transferring photos to her computer and must have been a little frustrated with the experience. She said she was making a mid year resolution to "Stop taking so many pictures."

My instinctive reaction was, "WHAT? NO!!! Don't take less pictures!"

She continued with, "I mean, really, how many pictures do I need? I'd rather be doing
stuff with the family than taking pictures of the family doing stuff
without me."

Having a few minutes of early morning quiet time to ponder, her comments turned my mind to this weeks Photo Inspiration.

Mosaic Moments™ Photo !nspiration: Week 35

Several years ago I decided that there were times that I needed to put the camera down and just enjoy time with my family. The first time I put the camera away was Christmas Day. It was the best decision I ever made.

WHAT! You don't take pictures on Christmas Day?

I discovered I could get all the shots I wanted and needed before Christmas Day: Counting down on the advent calendar, playing with the nativity, seeing Christmas lights, Santa's lap, drinking hot cocoa, reading the Christmas story, wearing santa hats, kids shaking the gifts trying to figure out what is inside, baking cookies, decorating the tree, the gingerbread house...

Just 16 Fridays before Christmas!

Soon it will be time to get out those holiday decorations once again. Do you have a Christmas Photo Check List? Here are some images you might want to consider:

Children writing notes to Santa

Addressing Christmas cards

Stack of Christmas cards ready to mail (try adding a ribbon tied around the stack)

Putting letter to Santa in the mail

Picking out the tree (or setting up the tree)

Looking at special ornaments

Detail of Ornaments (see photo above)

Decorating the home

Hanging the wreath on your door

Reading Christmas Stories together

Baking or making treats

Plates of Christmas cookies

Decorating a gingerbread house

Putting up the Christmas lights

Assembling gifts/toys (might want to keep these out of the scrapbook for now if the toys are from Santa)

If it catches your eye, if it is bright and colorful, if it is stacked up high or placed neatly in a row... it is probably going to make a great shot for a photo mosaic.

Mosaic Moments™ Photo !nspiration: Week 34

Colorful Life jackets are part of the fun at Water Country (They make floating along the Hubba Hubba Highway a relaxing experience and I love not worrying about my kids sinking to the bottom in the wave pool.)